Never Alone

Council

"King Ben, we are here to speak to Lady Mal." A blonde haired councilman informed the young King Ben. "Right. She's in her hospital bed." Ben said stepping aside. "I'm not going to do this." Mal stubbornly told Ben. "It's just questions Mal. There's nothing to worry about." Ben told her coming to sit on her unoccupied side. "Lady Mal, could you please confirm that you've killed Jafar?" A woman asked. Mal sighed and rolled her eyes before nodding. "Yes. That is true." "Is Carlos the son of you and Jafar?" A man asked. "Yes. Jafar has done terrible things to me, and Jay, and I killed him here, so he wouldn't hurt anyone I love again." Mal answered. "What terrible things has Jafar done to you personally?" "That's none of your business." Mal said turning away. "Mal." Ben said looking at her. "No. I'm not going to answer that question. That is personal, and I'd rather not answer that question to drudge up awful memories." Mal said shifting her shoulders uncomfortably.

"Okay, how about this question; how long has Jafar done these alleged terrible things to you?" "15 years." "Since you were 2 years old?" "Yes. Next question." Mal said running her free hand through Carlos's curly hair and messing with his curls. "Did you plan this? As in, having a baby at your young age?" "Of course not! Who would want to get pregnant when they're a teenager!" Mal exclaimed. "Are you planning on staying with Ben after you get out of the medical building?" "I hope so. I don't know if he has the same plan as me, because he's recently been thinking I'm not being faithful towards him. I've never cheated on him. I've never cheated on anyone before in a relationship." Mal said.

"Two questions left. The first one is, why are you keeping all these secrets from the kingdom?" "Because they're private. Stupid Jafar had to show up and ruin my entire secret. I didn't want anyone to know that Carlos was my son, or that Jafar had touched and hurt me before." Mal said. "Now I don't have a choice to whether it is a secret or not." "Lady Mal, our final question, do you know how bad this hurts the kingdom? There's multiple kingdoms in Auradon, and you've possibly destroyed Auradon City's reputation." "That's not my fault! I didn't choose to be a teenage mother. I was protecting my son!" Mal exclaimed.

"Calm down Mal." Ben said. "Why don't you calm down! Everyone is acting like I caused this! I didn't cause myself to get raped! Rape doesn't happen by choice!" "You could've run away!" Ben said standing up. "Try running away from a 250 pound man with a hook and net in his hands!" Mal yelled at Ben. "You didn't have to go to his house!" "I don't!! I avoided it! I avoided traveling alone, or even down his street! Ben, you must remember that this is a magical maniac chasing after me! His stupid parrot can hunt down anything when told to! No matter where you hide, Iago will find you, and that means Jafar will trap you!" Mal yelled at Ben with so much anger, Jay thought Mal was going to explode. "You still could've gotten away from him!" "How would you suggest that?" Mal asked Ben so close to her breaking point. "By killing yourself!" Ben yelled and slapped a hand over his mouth. Mal opened her mouth and shut it again after thinking better of it. "BEN!" The councilmen yelled. Mal didn't respond, as she felt like she had been stabbed again.

"I didn't mean it like that!" Ben protested. "You didn't mean what Ben? Didn't mean that Mal should've killed herself? You're really bright aren't you?" Jay yelled standing up. "STOP!" Mal yelled. "Everyone just get out. Not you Jay. Everyone else get out. I don't want to go through with this. Everyone is thinking I caused Carlos to be my son, but it wasn't my choice to have a son while being a teenager. I love him, but I didn't cause him to come into this world!" Mal finished talking and she leaned back on all her pillows. "Carlos, don't cry. They don't understand." Mal said softly to Carlos before kissing his head. "Don't let them get to you." Mal said.

The next few days, Evie would come in and out of the medical building, but disappear off the face of the earth whenever she wasn't with Mal, Jay, and Carlos. When Mal was released from the medical building, Ben came by her door, and told her she had to get ready to go on tv for the paparazzi interview. Once Mal had taken a shower, and washed her hair, Carlos helped her get ready for the interview/national broadcast. She ended up wearing this:

Carlos wanted to stay with Mal, but she told him to go sit in the audience with Evie. Mal started worrying, because she knew everyone was going to banish her to the Isle, and take away everyone she loved away from her. She had wanted to find Jay, so she could have some confidence when talking in front of every single person living in Auradon. 2 minutes before she was about to go onto the set with an entire audience in front of her, Jay came rushing up to her. "Mal!" He called. Mal turned to see him and she sighed in relief. "I've been looking everywhere for you!" Mal said. "Mal, look there's something you need to hear before you go out there. I know you're worried, so I hope this will help." Jay said.

"Mal, go out there, and be yourself. Be the Mal I grew up knowing on the Isle. Not the one that was hurt and abused by my dad, but the one that was strong, and wanted to protect everyone around her. If they ask something you don't want to answer, make them understand it from your point of view. In the famous words of my best friend Mal, don't let anyone or anything get to you. If they don't understand, make them understand. Mal, you're a strong, emotional person, and that's okay. You didn't deserve this, and if they don't see you for who my dad made you, they're just going to have to deal with it. If they make you uncomfortable, make yourself comfortable again. That's the whole aim of the game here, to humiliate you, but instead, turn it around, and make it a learning expireance for everyone in Auradon. No matter what, you'll still be my best friend."